Americans are resourceful when it comes to getting the most out of every dollar in their day-to-day life. (NAPS)

(NAPSI)—There's good news for anyone worried about saving for retirement—you
already have what it takes to be a smart saver!

A recent survey by AARP and the Ad Council revealed that Americans are
getting the most out of every dollar in many areas in their lives, with 92
percent using money-saving hacks like comparison shopping, using coupons, and
signing up for customer reward programs.

Yet, fewer Americans have applied this savviness
to their retirement savings. Two in five households headed by Americans age
55 to 64 have no assets saved for retirement, according to the National
Institute on Retirement Security. Furthermore, while many companies will
match their employees' retirement plan contributions up to a certain amount,
only three out of 10 Americans are contributing enough to maximize the
company match—which means they're essentially leaving free money on the
table.

To address this savings shortfall, AARP and the Ad Council have launched a
new campaign to help people save for retirement with a new free interactive
online resource, AceYourRetirement.org, to empower people to take control of
their financial futures.

"Retirement planning can sometimes leave people anxious, confused or even
paralyzed," said Debra Whitman, executive vice president and chief public
policy officer, AARP. "This campaign breaks down retirement savings into
easy, actionable steps for all Americans."

AceYourRetirement.org
features a friendly digital retirement coach named AvoSM, who guides you through a
series of questions about your life, savings goals and retirement plans. In
just a few minutes, Avo provides a personalized
action plan that highlights your top three action items—the simple, practical
things you can do right now to save for retirement. The tips cover a wide
range of topics, including how to turn a hobby into a source of income during
retirement and how to have a conversation with family members about getting
on the same page financially.

Tips To Help You Get On Track With
Your Retirement Savings:

• Try to increase your contributions to your retirement savings plan every
year, even if by only 1 percent.

• Brainstorm ideas for earning money in retirement, such as turning a
hobby into a source of income, or taking on seasonal part-time work.

• Wait as long as you can—up to age 70 if possible—to begin collecting
Social Security. This increases your annual benefit.

• Evaluate your budget to see if you can reduce some of your expenses.
This can help you put away more money now, and also have a lower cost of
living in retirement.

Get Your Plan

Though saving for retirement can be intimidating, it's never too late to
get on track for a more financially secure future. For your personalized
retirement savings action plan, visit www.AceYourRetirement.org.